Peters



(No Model.)

J. SPEIRS.

DEVICE FOR CLOSING APERTURES IN VESSELS.

Patented Oct. 19, 1886.

INVENTOR I (la/WW WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N PETERS. Vhulo-Lithographerv Washington. a.

NITED STATES ArnNr FFICEQ DEVICE FOR CLOSING APERTURES IN VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,132, dated October 19, 1886.

Application filed .Wlnrch 29, 1886. Serial No. 197.062. (Nomotlcl) T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN Srinns, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of Xew Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Device for Closing Openings in the Hulls of Vessels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to prtfvide a practical device whereby a break or opening in a vessels hull,'caused by collision or other accident at sea,may be practically closed from the inside of the vessel to prevent the inflow of water; and to this end the invention consists of the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a broken view of the hull of a vessel, showing the application of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional plan View taken on the line .70 at of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line y y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a modification.

A represents the brace-bar provided with the screw B. If the bar is to be used for closing an opening in the side of the hull above the floor 0, as at S, Figs. 1 and 2, the bar will be formed at one end with the hook a and at the other with the jaw b to embrace the inner flanges of the angle-irons D D,f'or holding the bar stationary, so the screw B can be screwed against a plate, E, placed over the opening S to close the same. If the bar is to be used for closing an opening in the bottom of the vessel, as at T, Figs. 1 and 3, it will be provided at one end with the separate hook-bar F and at the other with the angle-piece G,to the up per extremity of which is bolted another angle-piece, H, which, with the horizontal portion 9 of the bar G, forms a hook to embrace the angle-iron J at the bottom of the vessel, as shown clearly-in Fig. 3. The hook F is adapted to embrace the adjacent angle-bar J I of thebottom of the hull, as shown. also clearly in Fig. 3, so that the pieces F G H, when thus applied, hold firmly the brace-bar A, so that the screw B maybe screwed down upon the plate K, placed over the opening T, and cause it to effectually close the said opening and prevent the intlow of water. The bar G is adapted to be reversed in the bracebar A, as shown in Fig. 4, to adapt it to be applied to a reverse flange of the angle-iron J, if necessity re quires,and the bar F is attached to the bar A preferably by means of a claw, (I, made at the end of the bar,so it can be applied to the bar with dispatch and reversed when necessary.

In Fig. el the bars F and G are each made in two parts lapped and bolted together, and one part of each bar has a series of holes formed in it, so that by removing the connectingbolt the bars may be adjusted as to length to suit the depth of space between the bottom of the hull and the angle-irons J.

I am aware that a device for closing apertures in the hulls of vessels has been formed of a tapering plug having a screw secured to its inner end, and a centrally-apertured cross bar through which the screw loosely passes. The ends of the crossbar were provided with a hook and a fork, respectively, and'three lockingnuts were placed on the screw for adjusting the screw in relation to the crosspiece, and I do not claim the same as of my invention.- It will be noticed that my crossbar is screw-threaded to engage the screw, and that any suitable plate may be clamped over the aperture by the screw. would till a shot-hole would not be suitable for a break caused by a collision.

Having-thus fully described my invention, what Ielaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The device for clamping 'a plate or covering over an opening in a vessels hull, consisting of a bar, A, having a central screwthreaded aperture, a separate hook-bar, F, at one end of the bar, the angle-piece G at opposite end of the bar, the angle-piece H,bolted to the horizontal arm of the piece G, and forming in connection therewith a longitudinally-extending hook,and the screw B, passed through the screw-threaded aperture in the bar, substantially as set forth.

2. The device for clamping a plate or covering over an opening in a vessels hull, com

A plug that the horizontal arm of the plate G, and forming in connection therewith a longitudinallyextending hook, substantially as set forth.

JOHN SPEIRS.

WVitnesses:

H. A. WEST, C. SEDGWIOK. 

